Trucking Technology Report - July 5
 |  |
Both the online report and e-mail are sponsored by @Track Communications, a supplier of wireless communications and dispatch services.
Today's Technology Headlines:
- Palm Hopes Infrared Stations Expand Audience for PDAs
- An Acid Test for the Mobile Telecoms Industry
- Instant Connectivity for Mobiles
- Electronic Surveillance for Tires
Palm Hopes Infrared Stations Expand Audience for PDAs
Palm is hoping that infrared beaming stations will increase interest in its personal digital assistants (PDAs), by providing applications that attract more consumers.Over the last few months, Palm has joined with third-party developers that create shopping, e-mail, games and other information services accessed via kiosks with infrared beams. The companies are hoping to create a network of infrared kiosks at airports, malls, bus shelters, and other high-traffic locations.
The opportunity to gain access to almost 14 million PDA users in the United States has attracted the attention of such infrared developers as San Francisco-based Bluefish and WideRay, as well as advertisers such as Warner Bros. and Banana Republic, which are seeking new ways to drive traffic to their stores and Web sites and build customer loyalty at the same time.
While developers are currently concentrating on infrared applications for the Palm platform, some work is being done with Windows CE as well. Developers also intend to create products compatible with Bluetooth and other wireless standards, as those technologies become more available over the next few years. San Francisco Chronicle (07/05/01) P. E1; Hua, Vanessa
An Acid Test for the Mobile Telecoms Industry
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is starting to attract more attention in the telecommunications industry. GPRS offers a number of improvements on the way mobile users currently access the mobile Internet.The user pays only for the data downloaded, not the amount of time the user spends online. The phone can be permanently connected to the Internet, and data is sent more efficiently and faster in so-called packets. Nevertheless, from the beginning, GPRS was regarded as something of an interim technology between the current GSM phone technology and the extremely fast networks that someday will enable users to download music or watch videos over their handsets.
Late last year, however, the telecommunications industry suffered a crisis of confidence, as mobile carriers found themselves under increasing pressure from shareholders and banks to clamp down on spending and cut back on their debt loads. Equipment manufacturers are hoping the provision of GPRS technology will increase sales by tempting users to upgrade their mobile phones, while network operators and investors are looking for a strong uptake of GPRS in order to restore confidence in their technology investments. Financial Times (07/04/01) P. 13; Pesola, Maija
Instant Connectivity for Mobiles
Mobile Internet is already a reality in Singapore. All along Orchard Road in Singapore, corporate executives can now get connected to the Internet without having their personal digital assistants (PDAs) and laptops wired up to an access point.Despite the generally low penetration rate in the Asia-Pacific region, Singapore, Australia, Taiwan, and Japan are all expected to adopt the technology a lot sooner than expected. Reports issued by Gartner indicate that by 2004, 30% of all laptops manufactured will have the 802.11b wireless LAN cards installed in them, while by 2006, it is estimated that there will be 19 million mobile wireless LAN users around the world.
As part of the move toward the creation of mobile Internet, Australian broadband provider Davnet is establishing 48 wireless "hot spots" in Singapore, where users will be provided with high-speed access to corporate networks, and further access points are expected to be located at such so-called hot spots as fast food establishments, cafes, restaurants, convention centers, hotels, and the airport. New Straits Times (07/04/01) P. 22; Jen, Loh Chyi
A NAME="story4">
Electronic Surveillance for Tires
Fleet managers can improve their monitoring of tire and vehicle performance by deploying new software packages.For instance, Bridgestone/Firestone developed its Tire Management 2000 system to help fleet managers determine tire wear costs. The system includes a database of various vehicles, tires, manufacturers, models, wheelbases, and tread designs for accurate wear cost calculations.
Meanwhile, Goodyear offers its TVC-II system, which allows users to change data to calculate different cost scenarios, such as finding which tires are best suited for the fleet. International Marketing's Audit Professional Tire Management System is an integrated system that allows fleet managers to track, manage, and maintain tires from their acquisition to their retirement.
Michelin Tire offers several different software packages, including its Millennium Suite software, which allows users to monitor tire performance and record cost performance. The software includes a database where fleet managers can record tire condition and maintenance records for each tire. Commercial Carrier Journal (June 2001) Vol. 158, No. 6, P. 40; Norville, Norm
Previous Trucking Technology Report
© copyright 2001 INFORMATION, INC. Terms of Service
| ||||
7507
